Claiming that you've got the world's thinnest phone is a boast that might last a day or two tops, even if it's true. But NEC may well have those bragging rights for a few hours, at least in the flip-phone category.

Its n703iu is just 0.45 inches thick when closed, Electronista says. Making it even more interesting is the outer shell, which features 49 LED lights that change patterns to indicate when calls, e-mail or other functions are at work. It also has the obligatory 1.3-megapixel camera and MP3 player.

The 3G handset will be coming out this month, but available only with Japan's NTT DoCoMo. It'll probably be eclipsed by a younger, slimmer model before long anyway. Such is life.